Pierre Galand, President of the European Humanist Federation, cordially invites you to the EHF public hearing on “Horizon 2020” and stem cells research.
Public Hearing
Thursday 15 November 2012, 15:00-18:00
European Parliament, Brussels
József Antall building (on the esplanade)
Room 4Q2
In the presence of Marc Tarabella, MEP, Pierre Galand, EHF President, Philippe Busquin, former European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Pr. Pierre Vanderhaeghen, Senior Research Scientist at the FNRS,Institute of Interdisciplinary Research in human and molecular Biology (ULB), Julian Hitchcock, Intellectual property & life science lawyer at Lawford Davies Denoon.
European institutions are currently negotiating “Horizon 2020”, the new Framework Programme which will set the rules for the funding of research in Europe for the rest of the decade. Funding for human embryonic stem cells (hESC) research is highly controversial amongst European countries. These last months, several EU Member-States and Members of the European Parliament, supported by religious organisations, have been asking the European institutions to stop funding hESCresearch on the ground that it is contrary to “human dignity”.
By the end of the year, the European Parliament will vote on this issue. This meeting aims to defend freedom of research in Europe with ethical, scientific and legal arguments. We will discuss in particular the ethical, political and economic implications of the European funding for hESC research for Europe, the scientific promises of human embryonic stem cells in the light of the last scientific developments (e.g. 2012 Nobel prize of Medicine) and the practical legal consequences of the decision of the European Court of Justice regarding patenting embryonic stem cell research.
Several MEPs will be invited to react on this issue. MEPs announced: Frédérique Ries, Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe;Marisa Matias, Confederal Group of the European United Left - Nordic Green Left;Marc Tarabella, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament.
Translations from English to French and from French to English will be available.
Please register and send your full name, date of birth, nationality and identity card number (for the entrance badges) to julie.pernet@laicite.netbefore 10 November 2012.
Best wishes,
Julie PERNET
Policy Officer « Europe and International »
European Humanist Federation
Campus de la Plaine ULB, cp 236
Av. A. Fraiteur, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Tèl : +32 2 627 68 24 /Fax : + 32 2 627 68 01